In looking ahead at some upcoming hunting trips. I shoot a 338-06AI, if it became necessary to obtain regular 338-06 ammo. What difference would this make in the sight-in of the rifle? I understand the AI will shoot the regular 338-06 fine. I also understand the need to resight for the regular ammo. Just curious if any of you have had this experience.

You'll lose a good bit of velocity as the brass expands and forms to the AI chamber, and your sight-in POI will probably vary, as will trajectory. But without actually shooting it and experimenting, you'll never be able to determine the exact differences.

Firing factory 170 grain 30-30 ammo in an AI chamber yields around 1825 fps from a 24" barrel. Factory 150s in that same tube run around 1950 fps. The 160 grain Hornady FTX, advertised at 2400 fps, runs a shade under 2100 fps in that same AI barrel.

I would just make sure you reload and pack enough 338-06AI ammo.

If something happened like you bag with your ammo not show up when you get your bags off the flight, then I think Weatherby makes a 210 NP for the 338-06. Might be hard to find factory ammo in remote areas.

Only thing I can see is your POI changing but not by too much. My fireforming with new Norma/Weatherby 338-06 brass with 225gr Accubonds and TTSX's compared to the Ackley Improved reloads in my 338-06AI didnt change too much...would need to check my reloading diary for the caliber.

What to expect? What can you expect? What can you do differently? Etc..



Time, time is always the factor that is omitted, I do not build a chamber unless I have the die with a lot of exceptions like the 30 Gibbs, 257 Roberts Ackely Improved and 338/280.



When firing the 338/06 in the 338/06 AI the pressure will be lower, the reason, pressure can not build or peak until the case fills the chamber, by the time the case body and shoulder has been blown (formed) out the bullet is gone, that is the reason Seaweed said my case forming sounded like some risky stuff, some of my case forming loads were at or beyond maximum for formed cases. I fire form once and am not a fan of sudden shock created by reduced loads of pistol powder, so I do not use cereal as a filler, then there are other phenomenons, like the hazards created when a crowd gathered to watch two trains collide in the old days, for their curiosity some were killed standing 150 + yards away.



Because of time case forming can be accomplished by increasing powder and or the weight of the bullet, on my 30 Gibbs I used the maximum load/charge of H4895 powder for a 150 grain bullet, but instead of the 150 grain bullet I use a 200 grain bullet. After the cases were formed, that load would be at or near maximum, and, with the larger case capacity H4895 would not be a good choice for powder. I tested three receivers with one barrel using that load.



http://www.z-hat.com/Cylinder.htm



Now there is a case that has the ability to be formed instead of fire formed with the dies, the R-P straight wall case is 2.650 long, for those that understand the relation between the press, shell holder and die adjust men forming is a matter of having the dies and knowing when to stop moving the shoulder back.



I did not say bump because that sound's like an accident and when sizing a case we all know the shoulder is not bumped back, part of the shoulder becomes part of the neck, part of the case body becomes part of the shoulder, to me it is more like erasing and redrawing.

Forming, it is a waste to go straight to the finsih product when forming cases with a sharp shoulder, I use forming dies then finish with the full length sizer die.



F. Guffey

quote:

Originally posted by cessna:
...if it became necessary to obtain regular 338-06 ammo. What difference would this make in the sight-in of the rifle?

Although I have never fired a factory round in my AI chamber, there is not much difference in POI between virgin formed 338-06 cases and those that are fire-formed. I would think the biggest difference would be if you've loaded 250gr bullets and all the factory ammo you could buy was 210gr.

I've used std ammo in AI chambers. Velocities are just a touch lower. I've found them to be accurate. Just resight and don't worry about it. The animal will never know it was a std firing.

For best accuarcy, any ammo change requries resighting. Good luck finding ANY factory 338-06 ammo, aint gonna happen. Wby is the only manuf & I think they have stoppped producing it.

http://www.ableammo.com/catalo...58_14743_14906_14879



http://www.norma.cc/content.as...le=338-06%20A-square



I did not call but did find two links, Hornady could be difficult to find, Norma for $65.00 dollars a box, for me, is expensive, I have 338/06 dies and I made a set of 338/280 Remington dies.



The group G die set for the 338/06 Improved sells for $110.00 + and the case forming die is about the same price. Save your fired cases, purchase the Series G die set anbd start reloading.



F. Guffey